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Club Zero

Club Zero is a 2023 Austrian psychological drama film written and directed by Jessica Hausner.^[1] The story centers on Miss Novak, portrayed by Mia Wasikowska, a teacher hired at an elite international boarding school to instruct a class in "conscious eating," which promotes reduced food intake for health benefits but spirals into students adopting total abstinence from food, forming a secretive group with cult-like devotion to the practice.^[2]^[3] Premiering in official competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2023, the film provoked discomfort among viewers, particularly during a graphic scene depicting induced vomiting, highlighting its unflinching examination of physical and psychological extremes.^[4]^[5] Hausner, known for prior works probing fanaticism such as Lourdes (2009), employs stark visuals and Wasikowska's restrained performance to depict the insidious spread of manipulative ideology among impressionable youth, drawing parallels to real-world dynamics of groupthink and bodily self-denial.^[6]^[7] Critically divisive upon wider release in 2024, Club Zero garnered acclaim for its atmospheric tension and acting but faced critique for abstractly addressing anorexia and related harms without deeper causal insight into prevention or recovery, reflecting broader debates on cinematic portrayals of self-destructive behaviors.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Synopsis and Characters

Plot Summary

Miss Novak arrives at an elite international boarding school to teach a class on conscious eating within the economics curriculum, advocating reduced food intake as a means to achieve personal freedom, environmental sustainability, and detachment from consumerism.^[3] A select group of students joins her sessions, drawn by motivations including fitness goals, lowering their carbon footprint, and potential academic credits, initially responding positively to lessons on mindful consumption.^[8] As instruction intensifies, Miss Novak introduces the concept of Club Zero, a clandestine commitment to total abstinence from food, which the devoted students embrace, leading to secretive meetings, simulated eating during parental visits, and progressive physical weakening.^[11] The students' behaviors escalate, including induced vomiting to feign normalcy and outright rejection of family-provided meals, while parents express concern but face deception and the school's tepid administrative oversight.^[10] Health deteriorations mount among Club Zero members, fostering isolation from peers and authority figures, until a fatal incident among the group exposes the irreversible dangers of their unchecked adherence, prompting belated reckoning from the institution and families.^[12]

Cast and Performances

Mia Wasikowska portrays Miss Novak, the nutrition teacher who introduces the concept of "conscious eating" to her students.^[1] Ksenia Devriendt plays Elsa, one of the key students drawn into the group's dynamics.^[13] Luke Barker appears as Fred, Florence Baker as Ragna, Samuel D. Anderson as Ben, and Gwen Currant as another student in the ensemble.^[10] Supporting roles include Elsa Zylberstein as Elsa's mother, Sidse Babett Knudsen as the school's headmistress Miss Dorset, and Amir El-Masry as teacher Mr. Dahl.^[14] Wasikowska's performance as Miss Novak has been described as enigmatic and precisely controlled, particularly in scenes requiring subtle manipulation, aligning with her established range in roles demanding restraint, such as in prior films like The Double.^[12] Reviewers noted her ability to convey an unsettling benevolence through minimal expressions and deliberate pacing, though some critiqued the role's limitations in depth, leading to a performance that felt somewhat restrained by the script's stylistic demands.^[15] The young ensemble, largely comprising debut or inexperienced actors selected to reflect the diversity of an international boarding school, contributed a raw authenticity to the students' portrayals of vulnerability and ideological zeal.^[16] Their eerie uniformity and awkward physicality were praised for believably capturing teen susceptibility, enhancing the film's tension through naturalistic stiffness rather than polished technique.^[10] However, the inexperience occasionally resulted in uneven delivery under the film's stylized, unnerving stillness, challenging the actors to maintain a detached, almost mannequin-like presence that not all executed with full consistency.^[17]^[16] Zylberstein's role as a concerned parent provided a grounded counterpoint, her performance highlighting parental detachment through subtle frustration and denial, drawing on her experience in dramatic roles to add emotional weight to family interactions.^[14] Overall, the casting emphasized non-professional teen actors for realism, which amplified the film's critique of institutional influences but exposed variability in ensemble cohesion during festival screenings at Cannes in May 2023.^[17]

Production

Development and Pre-production

Jessica Hausner conceived Club Zero as an extension of her longstanding exploration of fanaticism and belief systems, evident in earlier works such as Lourdes (2009), which examined faith and personal conviction within institutional settings.^[18] The film's script originated from Hausner's observations of her own teenager's generation, highlighting their vulnerability to radical ideologies amid societal anxieties like climate change and parental detachment.^[18] Co-written with Géraldine Bajard, the screenplay drew structural inspiration from the fairy tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin, employing motifs of seduction and collective abduction to depict group manipulation dynamics in a modern context.^[19] Real-world influences included ideological cults, eating disorder trends among youth, and the appeal of extreme wellness practices, with Hausner researching boarding school environments to underscore themes of isolation and conformity.^[20] Pre-production emphasized narrative ambiguity to foster viewer discomfort and self-reflection, avoiding explicit judgments on the characters' actions or the ideology's validity, as Hausner prioritized provocation over moral resolution.^[21] The elite international boarding school setting was selected for its symbolic enclosure, evoking artificial detachment from broader society, with production scouting locations like a Scandinavian-designed college in Oxford to enhance this stylized isolation.^[20] An English-language script was chosen to reflect the school's global student body and broaden accessibility, despite the film's Austrian roots through producer coop99 filmproduktion.^[19] Visual and stylistic elements, including bright artificial colors alluding to fairy-tale unreality, were developed collaboratively post-script with Hausner's sister Tanja (costumes), cinematographer Martin Gschlacht, and editor Karina Ressler.^[20] Funding was secured primarily from European sources, including 1,123,330 euros from the Austrian Film Institute and 588,838 euros in television investment, supplemented by co-productions: 23% from Club Zero Ltd. (UK) and 11% from Essential Filmproduktion GmbH (Germany).^[22] Casting preparations focused on actors' physical presence and charisma to convey subtle radicalization, with Hausner prioritizing performers who could embody the eerie charisma of cult figures without overt explanation.^[20] This phase avoided didactic clarity, aligning with Hausner's approach to irritate audiences into questioning ideological seduction rather than providing reassuring answers.^[21]

Filming and Technical Aspects

Principal photography for Club Zero occurred from July to November 2022 over 39 shooting days, primarily in Oxford, United Kingdom, at St Catherine's College to represent the elite international boarding school setting, with additional filming in Vienna, Austria.^[23]^[22]^[24] The production chose these locations for logistical ease with the young cast, allowing proximity to the UK while incorporating Austrian elements to evoke a transnational institutional environment.^[25] Cinematographer Martin Gschlacht, in his eighth collaboration with director Jessica Hausner, utilized precise framing to capture group interactions among the students, contributing to the film's controlled visual rhythm through static compositions that underscore institutional rigidity.^[10]^[2] Sound design by Erik Mischijew employed a minimalistic approach with raw, unpolished timbres to heighten psychological unease, reflecting the students' distorted perceptions without relying on overt effects.^[26]^[22] The involvement of largely inexperienced young actors in scenes depicting eating disorder behaviors, including simulated fasting and vomiting, presented challenges in maintaining performance authenticity under Hausner's demanding style, which required sustained emotional restraint.^[17]^[27] In post-production, editor Karina Ressler structured the narrative through deliberate pacing to trace the incremental radicalization of the group, emphasizing sequential cause-and-effect in character actions over didactic commentary.^[2]^[22]

Themes and Interpretations

Fanaticism, Manipulation, and Ideological Extremism

In Club Zero, director Jessica Hausner portrays the teacher Miss Novak as a charismatic figure whose authority fosters fanaticism among students, drawing them into a voluntary group that escalates from mindful dietary practices to outright abstinence, mirroring mechanisms of cult formation through shared ideological commitment.^[28] Hausner explicitly models this dynamic on the Pied Piper tale, where a manipulative leader seduces followers by offering a compelling narrative of belonging and purpose, leading to their isolation and self-imposed harm.^[19] Miss Novak's rhetoric positions "conscious non-eating" as a form of empowerment and moral superiority, equating food refusal with environmental responsibility and personal purity, while dismissing established nutritional science that underscores the biological necessity of sustenance.^[18] This framing exploits students' desire for meaning amid societal pressures, gradually narrowing their worldview to reject external evidence, much as cults recruit by validating vulnerabilities and constructing an insular "truth."^[19] Hausner notes that such gurus begin by affirming followers' perceived weaknesses before imposing radical doctrines, fostering blind loyalty over empirical verification.^[28] The film's depiction of radicalization emphasizes causal pathways rooted in group dynamics: students' identity crises and overwhelming youthful stress render them susceptible to an adult authority who enables escalation from idealism—such as anti-consumerist protests—to life-endangering extremism, countering dismissals of the behavior as simple adolescent rebellion by highlighting deliberate adult orchestration.^[18] Without checks against observable realities like physical deterioration, initial benign intentions devolve into fanatic self-destruction, as the group's cohesion reinforces deviation from rational norms.^[19] This process parallels historical instances of ideological fervor, where unchecked devotion to a leader's vision supplants evidence-based restraint, though Hausner grounds it in contemporary voluntary affiliations rather than overt coercion.^[28] Certain interpretations, particularly from observers attuned to cultural critiques, view the narrative as a caution against unchecked progressive doctrines—such as radical environmentalism or absolutist body autonomy—where virtuous aims like zero-waste living or self-optimization morph into harmful asceticism absent pragmatic boundaries.^[29] The film's provocation across political lines underscores this, with its satire of insularity evoking how ideological purity tests can prioritize doctrinal adherence over human well-being, as evidenced by audience projections of bias onto its ambiguous extremism.^[30] Hausner maintains the teacher's sincerity amplifies the peril, illustrating how genuine belief in a cause can catalyze fanaticism without self-correcting mechanisms.^[18]

Critique of Elite Institutions and Parental Neglect

In Club Zero, the elite boarding school is depicted as an insulated enclave that detaches affluent students from practical realities, enabling the unchecked spread of Ms. Novak's extreme "conscious eating" doctrine under administrative tolerance. The institution's sterile uniformity and emphasis on progressive wellness initiatives create a bubble where radical self-denial proliferates without immediate repercussions, mirroring how privileged environments can amplify ideological echo chambers. This portrayal underscores institutional failures in safeguarding vulnerable youth, as the school's leadership prioritizes ideological experimentation over empirical oversight, allowing a small group of students to form a cult-like adherence to fasting.^[31]^[32]^[33] Such dynamics in the film resonate with evidence from higher education, where elite universities have been documented as breeding grounds for radical ideologies due to faculty ideological skews—often exceeding 10:1 left-to-right ratios in social sciences—and curricula that de-emphasize viewpoint diversity, fostering conformity over critical scrutiny. Analyses indicate these settings incubate fringe positions by shielding participants from dissenting data or real-world testing, akin to the school's permissive culture that permits Novak's manipulation to escalate. While some leftist critiques frame this as a byproduct of capitalist commodification of education, causal patterns more strongly implicate administrative inertia and affluence-driven detachment than broad economic structures.^[34] The film further critiques parental neglect among the wealthy elite, portraying guardians as absentee figures who delegate upbringing to the institution, viewing offspring as extensions of personal success rather than individuals requiring vigilant guidance. This permissiveness—manifest in delayed interventions despite visible deterioration—causally heightens student gullibility, as unsupervised teens latch onto Novak's promises of moral superiority through abstinence. Reviews highlight how such neglect in high-status families insulates extremism from familial pushback, contrasting with media narratives romanticizing over-involvement by illustrating the tangible harms of disengagement in resource-rich contexts. Eating disorders, as dramatized through the students' voluntary starvation, emerge in this vacuum, though epidemiological data reveal lifetime U.S. prevalence at approximately 9%, spanning demographics without exclusive ties to affluence, underscoring the film's focus on environmental enablers over inherent class predispositions.^[35]^[36]^[37]

Satirical Elements on Modern Ideologies

In Club Zero, the concept of "conscious eating"—promoted by teacher Miss Novak as a path to environmental salvation and personal enlightenment—serves as a pointed parody of contemporary wellness movements and extreme dietary ideologies, such as militant veganism and anti-consumerist asceticism, by illustrating their progression from abstract moral imperatives to tangible physical destruction.^[29]^[12] Students initially adopt the practice through rituals like scrutinizing cafeteria trays for ethical purity, echoing real-world trends where dietary abstention is framed as virtuous planetary stewardship, yet the film causally traces this to self-starvation, with adherents subsisting on "faith" alone amid visible emaciation and collapse.^[12] This exaggeration underscores the empirical folly of prioritizing ideological purity over biological necessity, as clinical data on anorexia nervosa—characterized by refusal of nutrition despite wasting—reveals mortality rates up to 10% from starvation-related complications, a harm the narrative refuses to aestheticize.^[29] The film's satire extends to polite society's accommodation of identity-driven abstinences, often masked as performative ethical commitments, by depicting parental and institutional complicity in the cult's formation until irreversible damage manifests, thereby critiquing the cultural normalization of such behaviors without regard for verifiable health sequelae.^[12] For instance, students regurgitate meals only to reconsume them in ritualistic displays of superiority, parodying the performative allyship in modern identity politics where symbolic gestures supplant material reality, leading to documented outcomes like electrolyte imbalances and organ failure in prolonged fasting adherents.^[12]^[29] This approach favors causal observation over narrative sanitization, highlighting how elite youth culture's collectivist pressures—evident in the group's uniform attire and synchronized rejections of parental feasts—foster conformity akin to ideological echo chambers, detached from first-order nutritional science establishing caloric intake's primacy for survival.^[29]^[38] Jessica Hausner's deadpan aesthetic, employing detached framing and amplified mundane sounds like mastication, amplifies the satire's ambiguity, permitting interpretations ranging from a cautionary exposé of idea-driven extremism overriding empirical reality to inadvertent glorification of anorexic discipline, as noted in polarized responses where progressive viewers decry its unflinching harm depiction while others discern an indictment of fashionable nostrums like mindfulness taken to nihilistic ends.^[29]^[38] Motifs such as the students' identical garb and the climactic subversion of a Christmas feast into ascetic mockery further symbolize enforced uniformity in elite settings, tying collectivist youth trends to broader critiques of subordinating individual physiology to group-sanctioned abstractions, without resolution in feel-good ideology.^[29]^[38]

Release and Distribution

Premiere and Festival Screenings

Club Zero had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2023, screening in the Official Competition section.^[39] ^[40] The screening elicited audible gasps from the audience during a graphic vomiting sequence, yet concluded with a five-minute standing ovation.^[4] ^[5] Following Cannes, the film appeared at additional international festivals in 2023, including the Sydney Film Festival on June 17 and the Munich International Film Festival on June 24.^[41] It screened at the Etrange Festival in Paris on September 13, with director Jessica Hausner in attendance, and continued at events such as the Göteborg Film Festival.^[42] ^[43] These appearances highlighted the film's provocative examination of ideological influence, generating discussion amid its festival circuit.^[12] In October 2023, U.S. distributor Film Movement acquired rights, facilitating further limited festival and arthouse screenings into 2024, though the primary debut phase remained anchored in 2023.^[40]

Theatrical and Streaming Release

Club Zero received a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 15, 2024, distributed by Film Movement in select arthouse theaters, beginning with screenings at New York City's IFC Center followed by Los Angeles' Laemmle Royal on March 22.^[8]^[44]^[45] International theatrical rollouts varied, with releases in markets such as Spain on March 22, 2024, and the United Kingdom on December 6, 2024, often handled through regional distributors under the film's Austrian-British production auspices, including English-language versions with subtitles for non-English territories.^[46]^[47]^[40] The film's box office performance was modest, reflecting its arthouse positioning, with a domestic opening weekend gross of $5,640 and total U.S. earnings of approximately $11,400, contributing to worldwide receipts under $200,000.^[48]^[8]^[49] Following its limited theatrical run, Club Zero expanded to video-on-demand and streaming platforms in May 2024, becoming available for rent or purchase on services including Fandango at Home, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video, as well as subscription streaming via Film Movement Plus.^[8]^[50]^[51] Regional availability included HBO Max in select European markets, ensuring broader digital access without reliance on physical theaters.^[52] As of 2025, the film remains accessible on these platforms, prioritizing digital distribution for its niche audience over wide commercial theatrical expansion.^[50]^[53]

Reception and Impact

Critical Responses

Club Zero received mixed reviews from critics, with a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 68 reviews, indicating a generally favorable but divided response.^[8] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 55 out of 100 from 15 critics, reflecting mixed or average reception.^[9] Reviewers praised director Jessica Hausner's precise, austere visual style and her unflinching portrayal of ideological manipulation, often likening the narrative to a cult formation under the guise of "conscious eating."^[10] However, detractors frequently criticized the film's ambiguity, underdeveloped characters, and perceived failure as satire, with some outlets decrying its handling of eating disorders as insensitive or exploitative.^[54]^[55] Sheila O'Malley of RogerEbert.com awarded the film three out of four stars, commending Hausner's exploration of "ideas run amok" and the ambiguity that mirrors the characters' descent into fanaticism, though noting its monotonous quality akin to Brutalist ideology.^[10] Variety highlighted Mia Wasikowska's enigmatic performance as the teacher Miss Novak, describing the film as an "audaciously disturbing" depiction of students transforming into a cult through mindful abstinence, emphasizing its potential as a provocative thriller on consumption.^[12] Supporters appreciated the film's cold, clinical detachment as a strength in critiquing elite institutions and parental detachment, viewing it as a bold statement against unchecked ideological extremism.^[29] In contrast, The Guardian's two-out-of-five-star review labeled it a "baffling non-satire" that offers "not much to chew on," faulting its failure to address body image or eating disorders substantively while straining for relevance to Western parental neglect.^[54] IndieWire deemed the satire "badly miscalculated," arguing it mishandles the premise of students stopping eating, resulting in a flat tone that undermines its ambitions.^[55] Little White Lies called it a "poorly-judged slog," criticizing the sluggish pacing and lack of nuance in portraying teen vulnerability to manipulation.^[56] Some critiques, particularly from outlets sensitive to mental health representation, questioned the film's ethics in depicting anorexia-like behaviors without deeper empathy, potentially glamorizing or trivializing disorders amid its satirical intent.^[57]^[32] While mainstream reviews often emphasized stylistic precision over emotional depth, potentially influenced by institutional preferences for ambiguous arthouse fare, the film's polarizing reception underscores a divide: acclaim for its causal examination of fanaticism versus condemnation for insufficient character investment and tonal inconsistencies.^[10]^[54] Hausner has maintained the work targets manipulation and faith-like adherence rather than eating disorders directly, a framing that resonated more with reviewers prioritizing thematic realism over sensitivity.^[58]

Audience Reactions and Box Office

Club Zero received mixed responses from audiences, as evidenced by user ratings on platforms such as IMDb, where it scores 5.8 out of 10 based on 3,553 votes, and Letterboxd, averaging 2.9 out of 5 from 19,252 ratings.^[1]^[59] These scores reflect appreciation for the film's unsettling atmosphere and strong performances, particularly Mia Wasikowska's portrayal of the manipulative teacher, alongside frequent criticisms of its deliberate pacing and slow-burn structure lacking urgency.^[30]^[60] In user reviews and forum discussions, viewers often describe the film as psychologically disturbing rather than entertaining, with some interpreting its depiction of ideological indoctrination as evoking cult horror elements over outright satire.^[60]^[61] Praise centers on the realism of discomforting scenes, including graphic portrayals of eating behaviors, though many note the narrative's gradual intrigue fails to build sufficient momentum, leading to perceptions of tedium.^[30] Individuals with personal experiences of eating disorders have highlighted its triggering potential, viewing it more as a niche cult exploration than broad commentary.^[61] The film's box office performance underscored its limited mainstream draw, grossing $11,436 domestically in the United States upon its March 2024 release and $182,240 worldwide, constrained by its arthouse sensibilities and absence of viral marketing hooks beyond festival buzz.^[48]^[1] This modest financial outcome aligns with audience feedback emphasizing its polarizing, non-commercial design, which prioritizes provocation over accessibility and resulted in sparse theatrical attendance outside specialized circuits.^[8]

Accolades and Recognitions

Club Zero competed in the main section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, receiving a nomination for the Palme d'Or, though it did not win the top prize. The film's selection highlighted director Jessica Hausner's thematic exploration of ideological manipulation, marking her second entry in Cannes' primary competition following Little Joe in 2019.^[40] At the 36th European Film Awards in 2023, Club Zero secured a win for Best European Composer for Markus Binder's original score, recognizing its minimalist and tension-building musical elements that underscored the film's satirical tone. The film received additional nominations at the awards, reflecting institutional acknowledgment of its arthouse craftsmanship amid limited broader acclaim.^[62] In national and genre-specific festivals, Club Zero earned nominations at the Austrian Film Awards for Best Feature Film production and Best Casting, aligning with Hausner's domestic recognition for precise technical execution. It also garnered a nomination for Golden Camera 300 at the International Cinematographers' Film Festival Manaki Brothers for Martin Gschlacht's cinematography, which employed stark framing to evoke institutional unease.^[26] Further nods included wins and nominations at the Palic Film Festival, emphasizing its provocative handling of extremism in smaller indie circuits, though major acting accolades for Mia Wasikowska remained absent. These recognitions underscore the film's niche validation for innovative sound and visuals over mainstream popularity.

Controversies

Portrayal of Eating Disorders and Ethical Concerns

The film Club Zero portrays eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, through the escalation of students' adoption of "conscious eating," a philosophy promoted by the teacher Miss Novak that progresses from mindful abstinence to total food refusal, resulting in physical deterioration and group delusion without depicted recovery or intervention.^[12]^[63] This depiction serves as a metaphor for ideological radicalization, framing the disorder not as isolated pathology but as a consequence of manipulative groupthink in an elite boarding school environment.^[58] Director Jessica Hausner has stated that the film critiques manipulation and the spread of extreme ideas, drawing parallels to fake news and cult dynamics rather than intending to endorse or glamorize starvation.^[64]^[28] Ethical concerns have centered on the potential for the film's unflinching visuals—including scenes of emaciation and a bulimic character's vomiting—to trigger vulnerable viewers, prompting pre-screening disclaimers about eating disorder content.^[65]^[66] Critics from progressive outlets have argued that the absence of explicit recovery narratives risks irresponsibly normalizing or aestheticizing anorexia, aligning with broader demands for "trigger warnings" and affirmative portrayals in media depictions of mental health.^[57] However, Hausner defends the approach as necessary to expose causal mechanisms of harm, emphasizing that the film's ambiguous endpoint—where a student directly addresses the audience with cult-like proselytizing—underscores the tragedy and futility of the ideology, refuting claims of glorification by highlighting irreversible consequences.^[10]^[32] Empirical evidence supports the film's setting, as eating disorder incidence is elevated among higher socioeconomic groups and elite adolescents, such as athletes, where environmental pressures like perfectionism and social conformity amplify risks beyond individual biology.^[67]^[68] Psychological research indicates that while eating disorders involve genetic and neurobiological factors, sociocultural influences—including peer reinforcement and ideological messaging akin to pro-anorexia online communities—can precipitate onset and maintenance, particularly through mechanisms like interpersonal distrust and maturity fears.^[69]^[70] Club Zero's satire aligns with this causal realism by illustrating how a charismatic authority figure exploits adolescent alienation to foster disordered eating as a shared identity, mirroring documented patterns where group ideologies exacerbate vulnerabilities rather than innate traits alone.^[71] Conservative-leaning responses have praised the unvarnished portrayal for confronting cult-like disorders without softening for sensitivity, contrasting with mainstream critiques that prioritize emotional safeguards over dissecting ideological propagation.^[72] Hausner has reiterated that artistic provocation, including discomfort, is essential to reveal how such manipulations evade scrutiny in privileged institutions, prioritizing truth over mandated redemptive arcs unsupported by disorder recovery statistics, where full remission rates remain low without multifaceted intervention.^[18]^[28]

Festival Incidents and Public Backlash

During the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Club Zero on May 22, 2023, a scene depicting a student regurgitating her meal and consuming the vomit elicited audible gasps and visible discomfort from the audience, with some attendees averting their eyes and murmuring questions like "Is it over yet?"^[73]^[5] Despite the visceral reaction, the screening concluded with a five-minute standing ovation, highlighting the film's polarizing immediacy.^[4]^[74] Post-premiere responses amplified the unease, with festival coverage noting widespread queasiness and division among viewers and critics, including calls for trigger warnings due to the scene's potential to unsettle those sensitive to depictions of disordered eating.^[75]^[76] Reviews reflected bemusement and outright hostility toward the film's unflinching approach, framing it as more disturbing than satirical in initial indie circuit discussions.^[32] Public discourse extended to debates over the film's intent, with detractors accusing it of irresponsibility in portraying extreme behaviors without adequate distancing, while supporters, including director Jessica Hausner, defended the provocation as a deliberate challenge to conventional wellness narratives and blind faith.^[58]^[77] No formal lawsuits, bans, or organized protests emerged, but conversations in independent film communities persisted into 2024, centering on the balance between artistic license and audience safeguards.^[32]

References

[1]
Club Zero (2023) - IMDb
Rating 5.8/10 (3,553) A teacher takes a job at an elite school and forms a strong bond with five students - a relationship that eventually takes a dangerous turn.User reviews · Club Cero · 2 of 105 · Awards
[2]
Club Zero - AUSTRIAN FILMS
Miss Novak joins the staff of an international boarding school to teach a conscious eating class. She instructs that eating less is healthy.
[3]
Theatrical: Club Zero - Film Movement
At an international boarding school, an unassuming, yet rigorous, Miss Novak (Mia Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on “conscious ...
[4]
'Club Zero' Terrifies Cannes Film Festival With Teen Cult Drama
May 22, 2023 · Cannes audiences were disturbed by Jessica Hausner's bold thriller "Club Zero," which screened in competition.
[5]
https://ew.com/movies/club-zero-vomit-scene-shocks-cannes-audience/
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Jessica Hausner - IMDb
Jessica Hausner was born on 6 October 1972 in Vienna, Austria. She is a director and writer, known for Little Joe (2019), Lourdes (2009) and Amour Fou (2014).
[7]
Jessica Hausner on Club Zero - film-authority.com
Dec 3, 2024 · JH- Club Zero is a showcase of how manipulation works and how it spreads within a group of pupils who are full of good intentions. Thus the film ...
[8]
Club Zero | Rotten Tomatoes
Rating 65% (68) At an international boarding school, an unassuming, yet rigorous, Miss Novak (Mia Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on conscious ...
[9]
Club Zero Reviews - Metacritic
Rating 55% (15) 'Club Zero' is an ineffective satire that strangely mixes the concept of cults and eating disorders. Mia Wasikowska plays an enigmatic private school teacher ...
[10]
Club Zero movie review & film summary (2024) - Roger Ebert
Rating 3/4 · Review by Sheila O'MalleyMar 15, 2024 · Hausner's new film, "Club Zero," is an intense entry in her exploration of ideas run amok, of fantasy overtaking reality to the degree that reality itself is ...<|separator|>
[11]
Club Zero (2023) - Plot - IMDb
A new teacher is causing a stir at an elite boarding school in the UK. Miss Novak is a nutritionist and wants to teach the pupils about healthy eating.
[12]
'Club Zero' Review: Mia Wasikowska in an Audaciously Disturbing ...
May 22, 2023 · The movie is set at a British boarding school where Wasikowska's nutrition teacher pushes a gospel of mindful abstinence, transforming her students into a cult.
[13]
Club Zero (2023) - Full cast & crew - IMDb
Cast · Mia Wasikowska · Mia Wasikowska · Ms Novak · Ksenia Devriendt · Ksenia Devriendt · Elsa · Luke Barker · Luke Barker · Fred · Florence Baker · Florence Baker.
[14]
Club Zero (2023) — The Movie Database (TMDB)
Rating 5.8/10 (86) Top Billed Cast ; Mia Wasikowska. Miss Novak ; Sidse Babett Knudsen. Miss Dorset ; Amir El-Masry. Mr. Dahl ; Elsa Zylberstein. Elsa's Mother ; Mathieu Demy. Elsa's ...
[15]
'Club Zero' review: Jessica Hausner nails the absurdist comedy but ...
May 22, 2023 · Club Zero's leading lady is portrayed by the usually wonderful Mia Wasikowska, who isn't given much to work with and that leads to a dubious ...
[16]
'Club Zero' Review: Mia Wasikowska in Jessica Hausner's Obvious ...
May 22, 2023 · 'Club Zero' Review: Mia Wasikowska Plays a Cultish Nutrition Teacher in Jessica Hausner's Uneven Satire. Sidse Babett Knudsen is also on hand ...
[17]
'Club Zero': Cannes Review - Screen Daily
May 22, 2023 · Additionally, it's a particularly challenging style of acting for the younger cast members to pull off – what looks like a stylised, unnerving ...
[18]
Jessica Hausner Is Going to Keep Asking Uncomfortable Questions
Mar 15, 2024 · The controversial Club Zero filmmaker talks about being provocative—and why she doesn't believe in right and wrong.
[19]
Interview: Jessica Hausner on the Cult Appeal of "Club Zero"
Mar 18, 2024 · The director talks about this savvy Mia Wasikowska-led satire about a school that falls under the spell of a suspicious nutrition expert.
[20]
“Irritation Is the Most Important Tool Any Artist Has”: An Interview with Jessica Hausner – Senses of Cinema
### Summary of Club Zero Pre-Production
[21]
Ideology Without Ideas: An Interview with Jessica Hausner
Mar 12, 2024 · A new interview piece with Jessica Hausner, director of Club Zero, for film review site In Review Online.
[22]
Club Zero - Österreichisches Filminstitut
Data ; Funding Film Institute: 1.123.330 € ; Television investment: 588.838 € ; Co-production. Club Zero Ltd. (UK, 23%), Essential Film (DE, 11%), Société ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
[23]
Club Zero (2023) - Filming & production - IMDb
Filming & production. Club Zero. Jump to. Filming locations (4), Filming dates (2). Edit. Filming locations. St Catherine's College, Oxford, England, UK.
[24]
Jessica Hausner's Club Zero begins shooting with Mia Wasikowska ...
Aug 15, 2022 · The “intense psychological drama”, set at an elite co-educational school, is currently filming in Oxford and will later move to Austria.<|separator|>
[25]
Jessica Hausner on exploring society's “weak spots” in 'Club Zero'
May 20, 2023 · We filmed over the summer of 2022 in Oxford because it was easiest for the younger cast if we were in the UK. Our main location was St ...
[26]
Awards - Club Zero (2023) - IMDb
It intentionally strays from being overly refined and polished, creating a raw and distinctive timbre sound that represents the students' perspective on a ...
[27]
CLUB ZERO: A Satisfying Serving Of Satire | by Lee Jutton - Medium
Mar 20, 2024 · The largely inexperienced young actors playing the students aren't all brilliant performers, but they are believable, and even relatable.Missing: production challenges
[28]
Jessica Hausner on Club Zero, Mia Wasikowska, Divisive Reactions ...
Mar 13, 2024 · Led by Mia Wasikowska, the dark satire follows a nutrition teacher at an elite school whose relationship with five students takes a dangerous turn.
[29]
'Club Zero' Review: A Caustic Satire of Consumption - Slant Magazine
Rating 3/4 · Review by William RepassMar 9, 2024 · No matter where audiences sit on the political spectrum, they're liable find something discomfiting, if not enraging, in 'Club Zero.'
[30]
Club Zero (2023) - User reviews - IMDb
Club Zero is a fascinating journey into the heart of human darkness, an experience that captivates and transports you to a world without time or space.Missing: funding | Show results with:funding
[31]
Jessica Hausner's Club Zero: Starving for Meaning - Montages
Dec 23, 2024 · The story unfolds in an elite European boarding school, an environment suffocating in its sterility. Its students are the children of the privileged but ...Missing: synopsis | Show results with:synopsis
[32]
Jessica Hausner's Club Zero - BOMB Magazine
Jun 14, 2024 · At an elite boarding school, a new teacher played by Mia Wasikowska introduces “conscious eating” to a group of alienated teenagers.
[33]
Club Zero — Jessica Hausner [Review]
Mar 14, 2024 · Novak (Mia Wasikowska), the recently appointed “conscious eating” instructor who quietly indoctrinates her neglected, mostly unsupervised pupils ...
[34]
Elite universities: A radical left hotbed - GIS Reports
Aug 16, 2024 · Tertiary education increasingly fosters radical left-wing ideologies that undermine intellectual diversity and create an illusion of knowledge.Missing: evidence | Show results with:evidence
[35]
Club Zero (review) - beware the false prophet in sheep's clothing
Nov 27, 2024 · Here, Hausner takes a razor-sharp scalpel to absent, lazy parents who ultimately view their children as trophies of their own success and wealth ...Missing: elite | Show results with:elite
[36]
Club Zero review — Kai-Fong
Aug 5, 2025 · In Jessica Hausner's Club Zero, The Talent Campus is an elite and very expensive boarding school where elite and very rich parents can dump ...Missing: critique neglect<|separator|>
[37]
Eating Disorder Statistics | ANAD - National Association of Anorexia ...
An estimated 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. · 15% of women will suffer from an eating ...
[38]
“Club Zero” | Too Much Art - WordPress.com
May 1, 2024 · ... ideological fashion will recognize the currents that are refracted through Ms. Hausner's satirical lens. “Club Zero” is a pitiless movie.Missing: wellness | Show results with:wellness
[39]
'Club Zero' Review: Jessica Hausner's Stylish But Disturbing ...
May 22, 2023 · Miss Novak (Mia Wasikowska) stands out in her warm rust trousers and orange polo. She is in the school at the instigation of the parents' ...
[40]
Jessica Hausner's Cannes Film 'Club Zero' Finds U.S. Distribution
Oct 26, 2023 · Film Movement has acquired U.S. rights to Jessica Hausner's thought-provoking dark comedy 'Club Zero,' which competed at Cannes.
[41]
Release info - Club Zero (2023) - IMDb
Release date ; France. May 22, 2023(Cannes Film Festival) ; Australia. June 17, 2023(Sydney Film Festival) ; Germany. June 24, 2023(Munich International Film ...
[42]
XXIXth edition - September 5 to 17 2023 - Club Zero
Screenings. 13/09 • 19h00 • Screen 500. In presence of the director. 15/09 • 17h00 • Screen 300. Credits. With : Mia Wasikowska, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Amanda ...
[43]
Club Zero - Göteborg Film Festival
Club Zero. Jessica Hausner; 110 min; Austria, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Denmark; 2023. Buy tickets. Mia Wasikowska delivers as a sectarian teacher at ...
[44]
Everything You Need to Know About Club Zero Movie (2024)
Club Zero in US theaters March 15, 2024 starring Mia Wasikowska, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Sam Hoare, Elsa Zylberstein. At an international boarding school, ...
[45]
'Club Zero' Trailer: Mia Wasikowska Manipulates Students to Starve
Feb 6, 2024 · “Club Zero” premieres at New York City's IFC Center March 15, followed by Los Angeles' the Laemmle Royal March 22. The film will have a wide ...Missing: variations | Show results with:variations
[46]
Spain Box Office for Club Zero (2023) - The Numbers
Spain Box Office, $0, Details ; Worldwide Box Office, $44,676, Details ; Spain Releases: March 22nd, 2024 (Limited) ; Source: Original Screenplay ; Genre: Drama.Missing: earnings | Show results with:earnings
[47]
Club Zero - BBC
Club Zero. Released 6 December 2024. Miss Novak joins the staff of an international boarding school to teach a "conscious eating" class. She instructs that ...
[48]
Club Zero (2023) - Box Office Mojo
Domestic DistributorFilm Movement See full company information ; Domestic Opening$5,640 ; Earliest Release DateSeptember 27, 2023 (France) ; Running Time1 hr 50 ...Missing: theatrical | Show results with:theatrical
[49]
Club Zero - Wikiwand
Club Zero is a 2023 dark comedy thriller film, directed and produced ... Box office, $180,680. Close. The film was selected to compete for the Palme ...
[50]
Club Zero streaming: where to watch movie online? - JustWatch
Rating 59% (110) Aug 26, 2023 · Currently you are able to watch "Club Zero" streaming on Film Movement Plus, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel. It is also possible to buy "Club Zero" on ...
[51]
Watch Club Zero | Prime Video - Amazon.com
Rating 3.5 (50) Comedy•Drama•Suspense•Arthouse · Watch with Film Movement Plus Start your 7-day free trial. Rent HD $4.79. Buy HD $9.99. More purchase options. Watch trailer.
[52]
Watch Club Zero | HBO Max
Club Zero. : A teacher at an elite school forms a bond with five students, which takes a shocking turn when their approach to intermittent fasting goes too far.
[53]
Club Zero - Where to Watch and Stream - TV Guide
Rating 55% (15) Feb 8, 2024 · Watch on Film Movement Plus Subscription ; Watch on Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel Subscription ; Watch on Apple TV From $4.99 ; Watch on Amazon ...Missing: platforms | Show results with:platforms
[54]
Club Zero review – not much to chew on in this baffling non-satire
May 22, 2023 · Club Zero is a strenuous, pointless non-satire which fails to say anything of value about its ostensible subjects: body image, eating disorders and western ...Missing: production challenges actors
[55]
Club Zero Review: Mia Wasikowska Teaches Kids to Stop Eating
May 22, 2023 · The story of a wheelchair-bound woman whose multiple sclerosis appears to be cured by a visit to the Catholic sanctuary of Lourdes.<|control11|><|separator|>
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Club Zero review – leaves a sour taste | Little White Lies
Rating 2.7 · Review by Hannah StrongDec 5, 2024 · Jessica Hausner's drama about a teacher who begins a troubling diet club at an elite high school is a poorly-judged slog to sit through.Missing: ensemble actors<|control11|><|separator|>
[57]
Why is it so hard to portray eating disorders on screen? - Dazed
Aug 30, 2023 · Branded as a “non-satire” that's “starved of ideas”, Club Zero became just one more film that proved how difficult it is to portray nuanced ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[58]
Cannes: Mia Wasikowska 'Club Zero' Is About Fake News, Not ...
May 23, 2023 · Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner swears Club Zero isn't about eating disorders. “It's maybe even more about a strange sort of faith and ...Missing: criticism | Show results with:criticism
[59]
Club Zero (2023) - Jessica Hausner - Letterboxd
Rating 2.9 (19,252) Miss Novak joins the staff of an international boarding school to teach a conscious eating class and forms a strong bond with five students that eventually ...
[60]
Club Zero (2024) - What do we think? : r/movies - Reddit
Jun 27, 2024 · The acting is superb; Wasikowska never fails to be magnificent. But I'm pretty sure they could've cut 10-15 minutes; many will complain of it lagging and times.
[61]
Club Zero : r/EDAnonymous - Reddit
Mar 21, 2024 · Definitely triggering scenes, but I consider it more of a cult movie than an ED movie. Not something I'd ever watch again for ED content.
[62]
Thirteen nominations to EU-supported films at the 2023 European ...
Dec 8, 2023 · Club Zero, by Jessica Hausner. Find out more about the nominated films and watch the live streaming on the European Film Awards website.
[63]
'Club Zero': Eating Disorder Film With a Vomit Scene Shocking ...
May 23, 2023 · A scene in Club Zero, where one of Novak's pupils vomits up her dinner and then eats what she has regurgitated with a fork, isn't predicated on gross-out.<|separator|>
[64]
Why Club Zero director Jessica Hausner made a movie about eating ...
Aug 7, 2024 · Austrian director Jessica Hausner talks about Club Zero and its themes of manipulation, radicalisation, anorexia and other eating disorders, ...
[65]
Club Zero: Inky Black Satire More Disturbing Than Amusing
Mar 28, 2024 · Set in a British boarding school, the film stars Mia Wasikowska as the utterly buttoned-up and benevolent Ms. Novak, a new hire who has come to ...<|separator|>
[66]
Club Zero & conscious eating - by Elissa Suh - MOVIEPUDDING
Mar 29, 2024 · An upscale academy hires Wasikowska's Ms. Novak to teach a class on conscious eating, an ideological practice predicated on mindful consumption.Missing: parody veganism
[67]
Longitudinal associations between childhood socioeconomic ...
Feb 13, 2025 · Background The recorded incidence of eating disorders is elevated in people from higher socioeconomic positions, but self-reported eating ...Missing: elite | Show results with:elite
[68]
Risk factors for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review - PMC
Higher prevalence of eating disorders among adolescent elite athletes than controls. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(6):1188–1197. doi: 10.1249/MSS ...
[69]
Psychological Factors Predict Eating Disorder Onset and ... - NIH
Results indicate that perfectionism, interpersonal distrust, and maturity fears predict onset of eating disorders but only perfectionism predicted maintenance.
[70]
Causes & Risk Factors of Eating Disorders - NEDA
Researchers have identified a range of biological, psychological, and sociocultural risk factors that may be present in those with eating disorders.
[71]
Perceptions of the causes of eating disorders: a comparison of ...
Sep 15, 2015 · Previous research has identified biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors related to the development of eating disorders.
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https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2024/3/15/club-zero-elegantly-says-nothing-about-eating-disorders
[73]
Cannes Audience Shocked by Vomit Scene in Mia Wasikowska ...
May 22, 2023 · Afterward, the movie received a five-minute standing ovation. Club Zero featured a disclaimer at the screening's start that offered a trigger ...
[74]
'Club Zero' Pushes Envelope With Gross-Out Vomiting Scene ... - IMDb
'Club Zero' Pushes Envelope With Gross-Out Vomiting Scene, Gets Five-Minute Cannes Standing Ovation. Image. “Club Zero,” a teen-cult thriller from director ...Missing: walkouts | Show results with:walkouts
[75]
Trigger Warnings Needed After Cannes Films Club Zero and Black ...
May 23, 2023 · The disturbing thriller “Club Zero” that played at Cannes will divide audiences and critics with a scene of a teen eating vomit.
[76]
Cannes queasy over vomit-eating dieting drama - France 24
May 22, 2023 · Cannes endured the nauseating sight of someone eating her own vomit on Monday, but the film's star, Mia Wasikowska, said it was a dark satire on the challenges ...Missing: incidents walkouts
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Mia Wasikowska never saw 'Club Zero' as glorifying eating disorders
May 23, 2023 · Britain's The Guardian newspaper gave the film, which received a five-minute standing ovation after its premiere, two out of five stars and ...